25-Year-Old British Man Is Arrested In Cambodia Over 'Violent Rape Of British Female Tourist'

The woman was at a party at the Arcadia guesthouse complexn (pictured) in Kampot before she was attacked

A British man accused of violently raping a tourist who was left with a fractured wrist and bruises has been arrested in Cambodia. The unnamed 25-year-old is in custody after the 22-year-old British woman was raped at a guest house in a commune near the southern town of Kampot. The commune, made up of several bungalows, is said to have a reputation for drinking and late-night parties.

Police claim that the rape took place while the woman was under the influence of alcohol and that she suffered numerous injuries. The Cambodian ex-patriate website Khmer 440, in a translation of local media, says the British woman has accused the man of raping her with force on the night of August 21 at around 11pm. She was at a party at the Arcadia guesthouse complex in Kampot, where he is said to have been working for the past six months, with about 20 friends.

She left for a short time and it was then that she was attacked.

Reports claim she was shaken, shocked and crying and could not talk when asked by friends what had happened. Two women took her to hospital for treatment. Her friends were questioned at the hospital by police trying to gain more details.

The man accused of attacking the woman in Cambodia is said to work at the Arcadia guesthouse (pictured)

The translation of local media, published on the Khmer 440 site, adds that a hospital doctor said the woman had injuries and bruises all over her body, a fractured wrist and was in a state of shock. Last night, the owner of the Arcadia guesthouse told MailOnline that the arrest was the result of a ‘terrible mistake’. Joel Miles said the young woman involved, despite being vague about the events that night, did not want to press charges.

Mr Miles, an Australian, said the British man and woman had walked down to the river’s edge where they had consensual sex. ‘Afterwards they were walking back to the bar and because she was a bit tipsy she fell over and hit her head and injured her hand,' Mr Miles said. ‘He helped her up and escorted her back to the bar, but she continued on to her room while he stayed at the bar.

‘Then she returned and because her friends knew she and the man had gone off together to the river and then saw her injuries and how confused she was, they put two and two together - believing she had been raped. ‘They went with her to the hospital and the police were called in. They took statements from the girls, as witnesses, and then it all got worse because the British Embassy became involved.'

Mr Miles said that when he learned the truth of what happened and the CCTV footage backing up the man's story, he showed it to the woman's friends and they realised a mistake had been made. ‘The young woman involved also saw the CCTV footage and understood that she had injured herself in a fall,' he added.

The Arcadia guesthouse complex is located 7km from Kampot town (pictured) in southern Cambodia

‘They all asked the police to have their statements handed back to them, but the police, not wanting to lose face after making an arrest, refused to give the statements back. ‘They still believed the girl had been raped and kept the man in custody. He’s expected to be in court on Monday. ‘He’s a good guy and the sad thing is that his reputation is going to be tarnished because of this.

‘There is enough evidence to show that he didn’t attack the girl. I am still trying to persuade the police to have those statements withdrawn.’ The Arcadia Backpacker’s guesthouse describes itself as being the only ‘utopia’ in Kampot on its website.

It adds: ‘Owned by three well-travelled guys from Australia, Ireland and England, Arcadia was dreamt up at a rave on the salt flats in Bolivia in 2012. ‘In subsequent conversations the owners continued to travel and plot spanning an impressive selection of locations around the world. 'However, it wasn’t until they all met in Kampot in June 2013 that they knew they had at last found the perfect place to bring their dream to life.’

The rooms are cheap, as most in Cambodia are. They are advertised as being from $1 to $20. The complex is located 7km from Kampot town and offers a ‘huge bar’, volleyball, DJs, boats, cheap food, ‘booze and plenty to do’.